ABSTRACT
Momordicae Semen a traditional toxic Chinese medicine, which was first recorded in Kaibao Bencao of the Northern Song Dynasty. It has the effects in reducing swelling, dispersing knot, and attacking sores. It is mainly distributed in South China, such as Guangxi and Guangdong. It is also distributed in Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam. The present study showed abundant chemical components extracted from Momordicae Semen, including steroids, sterols, volatile oils and fatty acids. Among them, 30 terpenoids, 102 compounds in volatile oil, 6 sterols and 19 fatty acids have been identified. Aqueous extracts and alcohol extracts of Momordicae Semen have the toxicity, and the toxicity decreases with the increase of oil content. The main toxic components reported in the literatures are cochinchinin and saponins. Pharmacological studies have shown that in addition to its traditional anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and other pharmacological effects, Momordicae Semen also exhibited many pharmacological effects, such as anti-ulcer, anti-oxidation and immune regulation. In recent years, there have been increasingly more research reports on Momordicae Semen. By studying relevant domestic and foreign literatures from 1964 to 2019 in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, PubMed and Web of Science, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and toxicological research of Momordicae Semen were summarized, which will provide reference for further research and application of Momordicae Semen in the future.